Elevator safety device.



G. NlSSENSON.

ELEVATOR SAFETY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3. I9l6.

1,262,832. Patented Apr. 16, 1918 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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ELEVATOR SAFETY DEVICE.

APPLICAHOM FILED NOV. 3. 1916.

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GEORGE NISSENSON', OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELEVATOR SAFETY DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 16, 1918.

Application filed November 3, 1916. Serial No. 129,292.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE Nrssnnson, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevator Safety Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to elevator safety devices, and has for its general objects to provide a simple, practical, reliable, durable and inexpensive means to enhance safety in the operation of an elevator by controlling the operativeness of the drive.

A more particular object is to provide that an elevator door may, by its open or closed condition, afford a control over the drive so that if any door be open the drive is automatically rendered inoperative.

There is usually a controller in the form of a wheel or lever which may be set in a middle or neutral position for rendering the drive inoperative or moved to either side of neutral position to cause the car to ascend or descend; and it is an object hereof to provide means for automatically restoring the controller to neutral position upon the occasion of the opening of a door; and preferably to lock it there and subsequently automatically unlock it upon the proper closing of the door. 7

Other objects will be pointed out in the following description or will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The invention consists of the features of construction, combination, and arrangement hereinafter illustrated, described or claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof a practical embodiment of the invention is represented for the purpose of illustrating the principles involved.

Figure 1 shows, partly in plan and partly in diagram, an apparatus embodying the present invention, the parts being in the position with the door opened and the controller locked in neutral position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the door closed and the controller adjusted from neutral posi tion, forexample, for causing the ascent of the car.

Fig. 3 shows a modification adapted for use in connection with an electrically operated elevator. Fig. 4c isa partial plan view but with the door closed and the controller in operating position.

For the purposes of clarity, certain of the terms used in this specification and claims, may here be defined with particular reference to their usage herein. The expression neutral position refers to the normal position of the operating or actuating or power controlling sheave, wheel, valve, switch or other mechanism, when the same is not operating or actuating the machine or apparatus and the latter, that is, the elevator car, is at rest. The expression extreme actuating position indicates the normal position of the operating or actuating or I power-controlling machine, wheel, valve, switch or other mechanism, when it is fully and completely operating or actuating or energizing the machine or apparatus, the operative power whereof it controls.

For convenience I have shown electrical connections from the door to which the safety device is applied to the mechanism by which the controller is unlocked or locked in neutral position. The mechanism may be shifted by means of an ordinary solenoid 1 which is shown secured to a frame 2 by bolts 2 The solenoid core 3 is movable longitudinally in the usual manner by the energizing of the solenoid. The plan is that when the door is opened the circuit is closed and the solenoid shifts the mechanism so as to lock the controller in neutral position.

The solenoid and its frame are secured rigidly with a square case or box 4 by bolts 5 and the described parts are secured on top of a bracket 6 by bolts 14 and 15.

Within the frame 4: is located the mechanical movement through which the solenoid adjusts or looks or unlocks the controller. This movement comprises an endwise sliding rod 7 extending through the frame 4 and secured to the solenoid core 3 at the outside. The rod is adjustably secured to the core by its threaded end 11 and a locking nut 12.

The interior end of the rod slides within a bracket 8, beyond which 1t 15 provided with a coil-spring 9 confined by a nut 10 so the core in the other direction. A collar 20 55 thereof. 5 a view similar to Fig. 3 secured on red 7 by set screw 21 may be set to cooperate with the bracket 8 to determine the extent of travel of the rod and core.

On an enlargement 22 of the rod 7 is provided a pivot stud 13 for one end of a bell crank lever 24, which lever is pivoted at its middle part to a bracket 23.

The other arm of lever 2d cooperates with an arm or link 25, the two affording a sort of toggle, being pivoted together at 26.

The far end of the link is pivoted at 26 to a lever 27.

In Fig. 1 the toggle is straightened and it is obvious that the lever 27 cannot be shifted, whereas in Fig. 2 the toggle is broken or bent and the lever is free to be shifted. The lever 27 is pivoted between its ends to a fixed bracket 28 and its upper end plays in a slot 17 in the casin g at.

By the described mechanical motion the elevator door, acting through the solenoid, is capable of locking or unlocking the controller. WVhen the door is opened and the solenoid energized, the parts automatically assume the Fig. 1 position and, as will appear, the lever 27 holds the controller locked in neutral position. t other times the parts take the Fig. 2 position in which the lever 27 and the controller are not locked.

The connections from the lever 27 to the controller may conveniently be as follows. The lever near its extremity engages a sliding rod 29, being located between the opposite sides of an elongated slot therein. The bar 29 has a nut or stop 30 at its left end and the bar slides within bearings 31 at the top of the casing 4:. From a pivot 38 on the bar 29 is shown a link 34 extending to a pivot 35 on the controller 36. This controller, which might take various forms, is shown as a wheel, and it may be a sheave located near the driving mechanism and connected by ropes 37 or otherwise to the controlling handle in the car. The details by which the controller 36 regulates the hydraulic or other valves, or otherwise controls the drive mechanism, are not shown, since they per 86 form no part of the present invention.

The link 3i is pivoted at such point on the controller wheel 36 that it stands in alinement with the bar 29 when the controller is in neutral position, as seen in Fig. 1. Therefore, whenever the bar 29 is pulled toward the left the action is to restore the-controller to neutral, whether it shall have been adjusted either for ascent or descent of the car. As clearly seen in Fig. 2, when the lever 27 is in normal position it does not in any way interfere with the endwise play of the bar 29, as the controller 36 shifts to and from neutral position.

From the above it will be obvious that when the solenoid 1 is energized and shifts the interior mechanism from the Fig. 2 to the Fig; 1 position the lever 27 is thrown to w. iimmmmmvm the left and presses on the bar 29, thrusting it to the left so as to pull the link 3i and restore the controller to neutral. lVhcn the parts are in neutral position, the toggle is in straight condition so that lever 27 and bar 29 are locked, and this obviously locks the controller 86 against movement from neutral position. Thus, the operator is prevented from starting the car upwardly or downwardly if the door has been left open.

The circuit or conductors 38 leading to the solenoid 1 are shown as comprising a suitable source of power 39. The circuit is closed by a device 40, the contacts of which are in contact in Fig. 1 but in Fig. 2 have been moved out of contact by the rod 41, displaced by the closing of the door 42.

Briefly, whenever the door 42 is opened the contact device it is closed, the solenoid is energized, the toggle is straightened and the lever is thrown into position to lock the bar 29 and the controller in neutral position.

The modification shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 is not substantially different in the train of elements from the door 42 up to the locking lever 27. Beyond that the parts may be as follows.

On top of the casing iis a circuit breaking switch li, similar to the switch 40, and operated by a rod 45 similar to the rod 41. The rod 45 has a hearing at 4L6 and at its extremity is pivoted at i7 to a link 48 which, in turn, is pivoted at 49 to the upper end of the locking lever 27. Vhenever the door is open and the solenoid energized the parts are shifted from the position of Figs. 4 and 5 in which the circuit device 4. is closed to the position shown in Fig. 3 in which the circuit is opened. The circuit for actuating the electric elevator comprises the conductors 50, which pass to the switch device 44, so that when the circuit is broken at this point the operator is prevented from operating the car.

In case the solenoid or other source of actuation is insufficiently powerful to bring about the restoration of the controller wheel 36 to neutral position, this may be aided by a yielding contrivance adapted to assist the restoration. Thus, in Fig. 1 is shown a flexible connection or rope 51 attached at a suitable point on the wheel 36, so that tension on the rope will tend to restore the wheel to the neutral position shown in this figure. The rope 51 extends from a peripheral part of the wheel 36 between pulleys 52, 52, and thence over pulleys 53 and 54 to a weight 55. This may be as heavy as necessary to secure the desired function, and if desired its lifting effect on the wheel and axle may be counterbalanced by a weight 56 secured at a.

diametrically opposite point on the wheel 36. It will be seen that in either modification the solenoid 1 and the spring 9 rmstitme oppositely arranged and coacting devices, one of which tends to move the rod 7 so as to set the parts in locked position, the other to restore them to normalposition. In these functions it is clear that the solenoid and spring might be reversed, in which case the closing of the door of the elevator or shaft wouldeffect a closing of the switch device 40 so as to close the circuit through the solenoid and thereby unlock the controller 36 or 4A. It is obvious also that many other changes in arrangement, combination, detail and other features may be made without departing from the novel principles hereof, and therefore I do not desire to limit the present invention to such features, except in so far as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An elevator safety device including in combination, a controller for the power apparatus, a door operated detector, and connections controlled by said detector for looking said controller in neutral position comprising a locking lever adapted to lock said controller, a reciprocable slide and connecting link from said lever to the periphery of the controller, and a mechanism for moving said lever into locking position and looking it there consisting of a swinging arm and a link between said arm and lever arranged so that said arm and link may be moved into alinement to lock the lever.

2. An elevator safety device including in combination, a controller for the power apparatus, a door operated detector, and connections controlled by said detector for locking said controller in neutral position comprising a pair of toggle arms and detectorcontrolled means for alining said arms, a lever shifted and locked by said toggle, a recessed bar engaged by said lever, and a pivoted connection from said bar to the controller.

3. An elevator safety device including in combination, a controller for the power apparatus, a door operated detector, and connections controlled by said detector for shifting said controller to or locking it in neutral position, comprising a sliding bar having extreme positions corresponding to the neutral and operating positions of the controller, a locking lever for locking the bar in its extreme position corresponding to neutral position of the controller, and detector-controlled means for operating said locking lever.

4:. An elevator safety device including in combination, a controller for the power apparatus, a door operated detector, and connections controlled by said detector for shifting saidcontroller to or locking it in neutral position, comprising a sliding bar having extreme positions corresponding to the neutral and operating positions of the controller, a locking lever for locking the bar in its extreme position corresponding to neutral position of the controller, and a magnet-and-spring contrivance controlled. by the detector for operating said locking lever.

5. An elevator safety device including in combination, a controller for the power apparatus, a door operated detector, and connections controlled by said detector for shifting said controller to or looking it in neutral position, comprising a sliding bar having extreme positions corresponding to the neutral and operating positions of the controller, a locking lever for locking the bar in its extreme position corresponding to neutral position of the controller, a toggle for operating said lever, a spring actuator and a magnetic actuator for said toggle, one for alining its members the other for breaking the toggle.

In testimony whereof, I have afiixed my signature.

GEORGE NISSENSON.

copies of this patent may be obtained for in cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent,

' Washington, I). G. 

